Sherry-Roasted Wild Mushrooms
Want something easy and a little decadent for Meatless Mondays? Or Meatless Everydays if you’re vegetarian or vegan? These mushrooms taste like they took all day, when you need less than an hour to make them (and you can pair them with so many different sides that you’ll want to make them every week). The recipe below has butter in it, but you can easily use olive oil only and make the recipe vegan.
If you don’t like mushrooms, well, I just pity you. Clearly, you were born with some kind of taste bud deficiency, because mushrooms are amazing. You can grill them or eat them raw or sauce them or flavor them - they’re like these yummy little nature sponges. And I bet you’d like them if you didn’t know you were eating them - I had a friend who HATES mushrooms, but regularly ate and loved my homemade marinara sauce. Guess what? It’s LOADED with mushrooms. #sorrynotsorry
If you're allergic, well....fuck, that's just awful.
One thing annoying about mushrooms: they’re grown in the ground, so they’re a pain in the ass to clean. Like I said before, they’re like little sponges, so if you run water over them or soak them to remove the dirt, they’ll soak up all the water and you’ll never get a good sear when you cook them. Instead they’ll be soggy and gross. What you want to do is take a damp towel and wipe the dirt off. It might feel tedious, but it’s just the way you have to do this.
Finally, let's talk about sherry. Sherry is a fortified wine that's produced in Spain, and there are a bunch of different kinds ranging from dry to sweet. For this recipe, I like to use something on the sweeter side, because the sugars break down and help to caramelize the mushrooms and the shallots. BUT, if you're a sherry drinker, and you like the drier varietals, then by all means, use whatever you like. The only sherry I wouldn't use here is a cream sherry.
Ingredients:
- 2-3 shallots, depending on size
- 2 lbs. assorted mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup sherry
- Red pepper flakes
- Fresh thyme
- Kosher salt
- Lemon, for zesting
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. For this recipe, you’ll want to use a pan that can go from the stove to the oven - cast iron or stainless steel are my favorites.
Wash all the mushrooms by wiping with a damp cloth.
Rough chop the shallots - I like them in bigger pieces, because they’re going to cook down and roast.
Rough chop the mushrooms - these, too, are going to cook down. This time, I’m using a combination of oyster, crimini, shiitake, and chanterelle, but you can use whatever mushrooms you like. Some mushrooms are stupid expensive, and I’ve done this recipe using only button mushrooms, too, (the cheaper white mushrooms) and it’s still yummy. Get what you like and what makes sense for your budget.
Add the olive oil, butter, and a good pinch of red pepper flakes to your pan, and turn your heat to medium/medium-high. When the butter is melted, add your shallots and some salt (the amount of salt is up to you, I use a good-sized pinch). Sauté for about 5 minutes or until the shallots are becoming translucent.
Add the chopped mushrooms. Now, this part is important, do not salt the mushrooms. Since mushrooms are basically sponges, we want them to release their water so they can start to brown. Wait for them to cook down before seasoning. They’re going to release a ton of liquid, so don’t freak out (you can see this in the photos below). Keep moving them around the pan every so often, and eventually, the liquid will steam out, and the mushrooms will start to brown. This takes about 15-20 minutes.
At this point, add another good pinch of salt and a few sprigs of thyme.
When the mushrooms start to stick to the bottom of the pan, and you notice some browning on the bottom of the pan, add the sherry. Scrape the bottom, stir everything together, and then put the whole thing into the oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
At the 20 minute mark, remove the pan and scrape the mushrooms around - you want most of the liquid to be gone, and you want to have a pan of beautifully roasted mushrooms and shallots. If you think you need a little more time, go in five minute increments.
Remove the pan from the oven, and discard the thyme sprigs. Serve with whatever sides you like. Today, I’m using polenta that I cooked as follows:
3 cups of stock to a pan (I'm using chicken) on medium high heat. When the stock boils, remove from the heat and whisk 1 cup of polenta into the stock. Put it back on the heat, and, stirring constantly, bring to a boil. When it boils, add a good pinch of salt, and turn the heat down to low. Simmer until it thickens, and then add a small can of coconut cream (we're mostly dairy free in this house; traditionally, add 1/2-2/3 cup of whipping cream). Continue stirring until the cream is incorporated and the polenta starts thickening again. Taste and season to your liking. You can also finish it with some butter and/or cheese if you like.
For serving, add some polenta to a bowl with the mushrooms spooned over the top. Garnish with a little parmesan cheese and fresh lemon zest. SO GOOD.
Yield: 4 servings
Some other ideas for serving:
- Pasta (duh), in which case I’d finish the pasta in a pan with olive oil, and then add all the mushrooms to better flavor the pasta. And then I’d serve with parmesan and lemon zest (the zest really brightens up the dish - it’s so delicious).
- Baked potatoes - white or sweet - added on top with whatever other toppings you like
- Salad - these mushrooms are a great addition to a spring or summer salad. I like pressure cooking a bit of farro and then making a wilted arugula salad with some raw vegetables, the farro, these mushrooms, and a citrus dressing.
Can’t live without meat? They go great with chicken, steak, or on a burger, too!
Enjoy!!
